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Jake Brown, winner of The Traitors season three, has shared how proud he feels about “inspiring” people with cerebral palsy.
The reality show contestant was outspoken on the BBC One hit about having cerebral palsy, first opening up about his condition to fan-favourite Alexander Dragonetti.
An average audience of 7.4 million watched project manager Jake and former soldier Leanne Quigley triumph as Faithfuls in the final last night (24 January), with the pair splitting a prize pot of £94,600.
Jake, who disclosed his condition, which affects movement and co-ordination, towards the end of the series, told the PA news agency that he was “ashamed” of having cerebral palsy when he was younger, because he “didn’t really like how I looked or how it made me feel”.
According to the NHS, cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination, and develops before, during or soon after birth.
“I had such lovely comments and posts about me, and it’s people like saying things like, I’ve inspired them,” Jake said.
“Some people have cerebral palsy themselves, or [their] children have cerebral palsy, and it’s like, ‘Oh, my four-year-old son’s got cerebral palsy, and I’m worried about his future, but seeing you on TV, being so open and so confident with it, kind of gives me hope that my kids are going to be fine.’
“So that fills my heart, really, because that’s the impact I’ve had.
“It’s such a hidden disability, people don’t always know about it, and I just don’t think there’s always a massive representation on TV of people with my disability, or even just disability general.
“So it’s nice to actually spread awareness and and show people that it’s not a negative.
“I think there’s this stigma around disability, like it’s a negative, like you’re not able to do things.
“I always say, disability does not mean inability, from my experience, it’s [opened] doors in my life, not closed doors.”
Jake said that he would spend the money taking his wife Shannon on holiday “because she’s my biggest supporter”, and help his mother and father, who supported him with his condition.
Jake, 28, from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, said he experienced “next level” paranoia by keeping his participation on the show a secret.
“I’d be thinking people are staring at me, even though they’re not staring at me, because at this point, the show’s not even out, so they don’t know who I am,” he said.
After watching the series on TV, when he could see Traitors discussing murdering him, Jake said: “I’ve got a lot of luck, because the smallest change in the game and I would have, probably, would have been murdered or banished.”
A celebrity-version of the UK series is in development.
Additional reporting by Press Association
